Roxann R. Karkhoff-Schweizer
Associate Professor
Phone: 491-3428
Fax: 491-1815
Email:
Roxann.Karkhoff-Schweizer@colostate.edu
Office: B107 Microbiology Building
Lab: Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, Foothills Campus
Degrees
- B.A. (Chemistry, Biology) Bemidji State University
- Ph.D. (Biochemistry) University of North Dakota
- Postdoctoral (Microbial Genetics) University of Michigan, University of Calgary
Activities
Web Coordinator
Teaching Responsibilities and Participation
- (MB 450) Microbial Genetics lecture
- (MB 550) Microbial and Molecular Genetics laboratory
- (MB 302) General Microbiology Laboratory
- (MB 301) Fundamental Microbiology Lab Techniques
- (MB 400) Topics in Microbiology
Research Interests
- Interested in biowarfare bacterial agents, like Yersinia and Burkholderia species.
Also, the opportunistic pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
- To facilitate the analysis of cloned bacterial genes requires special genetic and molecular tools. I have been involved with the improvement of gene replacement systems to facilitate allelic replacement in Pseudomonas and
other bacteria. Also, I have been involved with construction of genetic systems that allow single copy insertion into the bacterial chromosome of novel or unique genetic features. This may mean construction of many engineered plasmids.
- I have a strong curiosity to understand the genetic mechanisms that give rise to
antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas and biowarfare agents.
- I have interest in the advancement of genetic strategies for use with biowarfare bacterial agents. This will involve the development of non-antibiotic selection markers and the development of novel counterselection markers.
- My research efforts are a collaborative effort with Dr. Herbert P. Schweizer.
- I have a strong drive to be involved with training undergraduates for careers in research.
Selected Publications
Pub Med for Karkhoff-Schweizer R.
- Chuanchuen, R., J.B. Gaynor, R.R. Karkhoff-Schweizer and H.P. Schweizer. (2005) Molecular characterization of MexL, the transcriptional repressor of the mexJK efflux operon of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 49:1844-1851.
- Choi, K.-H., J.Gaynor, K.G. White, C. Lopez, C.M. Bosio, R.R. Karkhoff-Schweizer and H.P. Schweizer. (2005) A Tn7-based universal bacterial cloning and expression system. Nature Methods 6:443-448.
- Chuancheun, R., Karkhoff-Schweizer, R., and H. P. Schweizer. (2003) High-level triclosan resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is solely due to efflux. Am. J. Infect. Control. 31:124-127.
